Create the Ultimate Vision

We’ve all heard it.  The all-too-common phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” When you look at a picture, clarity and meaning without words are there for all to see. Whether the picture is a gleaming child, a peaceful sunset, or a dream home, these images have a way of springing emotions to life.  We feel it. So if this is true, then is it possible that a picture can propel our goals, dreams, and aspirations into reality? People who have created vision boards for themselves say, “Yes!”     

Chase and Create

A vision board is a collection of pictures depicting the things which you long to achieve or acquire. It’s a collection of your goals, dreams and aspirations, the very things I have been encouraging you to “chase” and “create.”  In place of a list written only in black ink, creating a poster board covered with images and inspirational messages, will inject colour and meaning into your dreams.  At a quick glance, you’ll see your life’s plans on display as a daily reminder.  With mustard-seed faith, your dreams will magically transform into reality when you believe they are possible. 

To support this theory, the book, The Secret, explains the powerful process of visualization in this way.

“The reason visualization is so powerful is because as you create pictures in your mind of seeing yourself with what it is you want, you are generating thoughts and feelings of having it now. Visualization is simply powerfully focused thought in pictures, and it causes equally powerful feelings. When you are visualizing, you are emitting that powerful frequency out into the Universe.  The law of attraction will take hold of that powerful signal and return those pictures back to you, just as you saw them in your mind.”  

The Vision Board as a Remedy

Creating a vision board for your goals and dreams might go one step further.  I sense this process as a remedy to cure specific ailments.

1.     Overcome the FOMO epidemic.

Until recently, I had never heard of FOMO. Perhaps I had but didn’t realize the epidemic had a different name than the one that I knew.   FOMO, “the Fear of Missing Out”, is equal to what I’ve always known as “keeping up with the Joneses”. Marissa Sollows, Senior Education Coordinator, with Financial and Consumer Services Commission of New Brunswick, wrote an excellent article, Conquer Your Fears of Missing Out to Get on Top of your Finances. 

Marissa explains that FOMO, the Fear of Missing Out, is the physical and emotional reaction we have when we feel that we are missing out on an opportunity. FOMO can provoke strong emotions ranging from sadness to full blown anxiety. It can also make us feel unsatisfied with the experiences we have had and things we own.   Marissa goes on to explain that these strong emotions are heightened with the posts viewed on social media of our friends’ dazzling lives. 

The cure for FOMO would be to determine what you want and then create your vision board.  Here’s the underlying truth. “You can have ANYTHING you want. You just can’t have EVERYTHING you want.”  You have to figure it out.  A vision board will provide focus and clarity.  You will no longer be chasing someone else’s dream.  You will chase your own dream.

2.     A Change in Direction.  

Life has a way of steering us in the opposite direction we ever intended to travel. A painful relationship, an unsuccessful business venture, and a sudden illness can send us spinning.   We aren’t given any clear explanations how this happens but when it does, we feel totally helpless and frustrated, leading us to believe that we may never be happy.  It’s at this junction that we have a choice.  Don’t you love choices?  We can choose to believe the worst that we were destined to live unhappily ever after, or we can choose to believe that the best is coming our way.  We can choose to believe that it’s our turn to have the very things our family, friends, and neighbors have.   And it all starts with believing and creating the ultimate vision both in our minds and on a vision board. 

Permission to Play and Create

Now that you have permission to play with glue, scissors, and paper, capturing and creating images of your life with pictures, you may feel lost. Don’t fear. Click here for a quick four-step guide to help create your vision board.   Don’t stop here. This is one opportunity you don’t want to miss out on.  A Google search will lead you to plenty of information on vision boards and its benefits.  I would love to hear the results of your creation. I invite you to share your thoughts, successes, and yes, even your frustrations with your vision board masterpiece.

Time for Review

I am certain you don’t need someone telling you how quickly time is passing.  One peek at the calendar shows just how close we are to the end of June which is a sign that half of 2016 has disappeared before our eyes. 

Like many corporate employees face mid-year performance reviews, this is a good time to review your New Year’s Resolutions. Remember the personal goals, dreams and aspirations you made at the beginning of the year.  Go ahead. Blow the dust off the list.  It’s time for review. 

It’s possible you didn’t get started or simply stalled on moving forward.  Now is the best time to reignite the spark. If you can’t find your list or can’t remember the things on your list, create a new one. If a corporation can set a different fiscal year-end so can you! Your personal fiscal year may run from July 1^st to June 30^th.  “New Year’s Resolutions” can be created any time.

Here are three ways to help motivate you into keeping your commitments. 

1.     Watch the video below, Start Saving Now.  You may recognize some do’s and don’ts to ensure you achieve your desired plans.

 

2.    Refer to the blog, The Five Strategies for Sticking with Your Financial New Year’s Resolutions for additional ideas.

 

3.    Lastly, repeat Step One and Two as necessary to charge your human battery so that you can create an everlasting commitment to follow through with your plans.
 

When the time comes for the next review, you will feel confident that you did your best.  You had a list; you created sound strategies; and you overcame obstacles. The best part will be that you achieved your dream, goal, or aspiration.  You can then expect the best performance review of your life.

 



Grow Dreams Into Mountains

Spring is often seen as a time of renewal.  New growth means new beginnings, time for a “fresh start.”  It’s easy to see the correlation between spring and a New Year.  If you didn’t write your aspirations and set goals for this year, you now have a second chance.  Spring provides this opportunity to make plans and reaffirm your commitment to accomplish things you only dreamed of doing yet have never done. 

Og Mandino’s words create a powerful image: “I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not shrink into a grain of sand.  Henceforth, I will apply ALL my efforts to become the highest mountain of ALL and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.”  Can you imagine yourself growing into a mountain?

This inspiration may apply to any endeavor we undertake. We may never have considered how this relates to our finances.  Many people question their purpose, “Why am I working?”  Rather than come up with a definite answer, we wander aimlessly until we realize a plan would help.  Without one, we may feel like our obstacles are becoming mountains. Instead we are the ones who should be growing into mountains and gaining control over our finances.   We should believe:

• We CAN save.
• We CAN pay down debt.
• We CAN afford to pay for our children’s educations.
• We CAN take the vacations we want.
• We CAN build our dream homes. 

The difference maker is having the right plan.   Our focus has to be directed to the things we really want, not the things we only think we want.  Committing ourselves to follow “The Plan” will sway us from becoming distracted.   Yes, even with a plan, anguish is a reality.  Heartaches are bound to occur when we have to say “No” to our spouse, children,   and even ourselves because something wasn’t written into the plan ~~ anything from a new vehicle, sofa set, or a spontaneous vacation.   In the end, we will be grateful we stuck to our commitment.

Financial Planning Standards Council created a presentation to help Canadians understand the financial planning process, the benefits of engaging in financial planning, and the value of working with a CFP professional.  View this presentation, The Plan, by clicking here.  When you commit your goals to writing and work with a Certified Financial Planner, your dreams will grow into mountains.  After all isn’t that why we work?

New Year’s Resolutions OUT–New Year’s Aspirations IN

 

New Year’s resolutions generally include typical “have-to-do” items. Many people have travelled down the same route, year after year, only to meet failure rather than success when attempting to follow through with their resolutions.  I did, too, until I discovered a more effective New Year’s ritual.  

Sarah Ban Breathnach, author of the book, Simple Abundance – A Daybook of Comfort and Joy, suggested that we write down our most private aspirations rather than resolutions. Perhaps the magic is in our approach.  Perhaps words like, “resolutions” and “goals” are too harsh, overwhelming, or even intimidating.   Aspirations, on the other hand, appear to breathe life into our lists.  Sarah begins her book with an entry for January 1:  A Transformative Year of Delight and Discovery.

“New Year’s Day.  A fresh start.  A new chapter in life waiting to be written.  New questions to be asked, embraced, and loved. Answers to be discovered and then lived in this transformative year of delight and self-discovery.

Today carve out a quiet interlude for yourself in which to dream, pen in hand.  Only dreams give birth to change. What are your hopes for the future as you reflect on the years that have passed?  Gradually, as you become curator of your own contentment, you will learn to embrace the gentle yearnings of your heart.  But this year, instead of resolutions, write down your most private aspirations. Those longings you have kept tucked away until the time seems right.  Trust that now is the time. Ask the questions. The Simple Abundance path brings confidence that the answers will come and we will discover – day by day – how to live them.

Talk a leap of faith and begin this wondrous new year by believing.  Believe in yourself. And believe that there is a loving Source – a Sower of Dreams – just waiting to be asked to help you make your dreams come true.”   

With this new information in hand, perhaps you are now better prepared to achieve your goals, dreams and aspirations.  The task won’t appear as daunting. Why don’t you give it a try?

Happy New Year!

What Do You REALLY Want?

“What Do You Really Want?” There’s a GOOD reason to answer this question. 

Why? “If you have a clear vision you will eventually attract the right strategy.  If you don’t have a clear vision no strategy will save you.” – Mike Hyatt. 

The six main steps in the financial planning process illustrate the obvious.  Once you establish your relationship with a financial planner, the next crucial step to get you on the right track is to know what you want in life.  It’s difficult to figure the “How” when you don’t know the “What” and “When”.  An important part of your meeting with a financial planner will be discussing your goals, dreams and aspirations. It’s next to impossible to do any of the steps that follow unless your goals are confirmed.


I often share my CRAZY “Rocking Chair” exercise with clients.  Although this sounds hokey-pokey, something mystical happens in the process of writing your dreams. The flow of thoughts and ideas from your heart to your brain to the pen and on to paper allows your life to unfold before your eyes and become reality.  Believe me; this works.

The Rocking Chair Exercise

TAKE a brightly colored (8½”x11”) piece of paper.  {A boring, white sheet will not do; your favorite color works the best.}   

FOLD the paper four times until you are holding what looks like a 2”x2” square.  GET still and relax.  

IMAGINE you are 105 years old, sitting in a rocking chair at your nursing home and looking outdoors through the window. You have all your facilities--you are as smart as a whip. When you look through the window, you imagine watching a movie made of your life; you see all the things you said you wanted to do and you did it. You were not discouraged by believing: you were too old, too young or not educated.  You were not concerned about money or any obstacles that may stand in your path.   You said, “I want to do this; and you did!” 

NOW take and unfold your paper to its original size.  You see sixteen squares on the front and back.  Thirty-two spots to write your goals, dreams and aspirations. The ones you saw played in your movie.  Some may or may not involve money (i.e. learn to play bridge; write a book-the cost will be in the publishing; or winter vacations in Florida).  This exercise will not be completed in an hour or even one day.  This type of exercise takes time.  Keep your antenna up; see what others have done; if you like what you see, put it on YOUR list.

REMEMBER you must grasp the pen and write on paper.  Just thinking about your aspirations is not sufficient.  The MAGIC happens in the process of “DOING”.

THE CHALLENGE:  Write your goals, dreams and aspirations.  Once your list is complied, then it’s easier to take the next step. Distinguish your goals between urgent and important; and subdivided further as short, mid, and long term.  JUST SO HAPPENS worksheets are available to help with the process.  They’re yours for the asking.

DREAM BIG!